Swinging-rail switch frog



Jan. 12 ,1926. w. H. RIFE SWINGING RAIL SWITCH FROG Filed July 29, 19242 shdetkshuz 1 Jan. '12 1926. 1,569,141 w. H. RIFE SWINGINGRAIL SWITCHFROG Filed July 29; 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM HARISON RIFE, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO.

SWINGING-RAIL SWITCH FROG.

Application filed July 29. 1924. Serial No. 728,963.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that l, \VXLLIAM HAmsoN Rise, of La Junta, in the county ofOtero and State of Colorado (whose post-oliice address is La Junta,Otero County, Colorado), a citizen of the United States, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in a SwingingRail Switch Frog, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a swinging rail switch frog, andparticularly to a single end swinging rail frog.

An object of this invention is to provide afrog of this character whichcan be installed in track lines already in use, without materialalterations in the main tracks, and without lengthy discontinuance orinterruption of service over the tracks. A further object resides insoconstructing and mounting the parts that a single end swinging rail ispivoted at one endbetween the spliced plates holding the main rails inplace, and in providing means by which the remaining end is swung toeach of its )ositions for use, and is positively held and locked in eachof these positions,

lVith the above and other objects in view, which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts which will be setforth in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan view of a switch ttrog arrangement inaccordance with my invention and illustrating the operating connections.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the installation for a lefthand turnout.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a right hand turn-out.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the frog and associated parts. I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the operating means indetail.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, my invention can be applied and used indifferent connections andin various track lay-outs. In Fig. 1 I have,however, shown the essential portions of my invention. The main railsections are indicated at 1 and 2, and the switch rails at 3 and 4. Toall intents and purposes, these rails maybe considered a part of astandard installation, and it is not necessary to disturb or reconstructthese portions of the rail systelllsection 20.

The portions of the installation particuler and peculiar to my inventionare carried by a base plate 5 and the cross plates 6, '7 and 8, whichwill be secured on the ties adjacent and alongside of this base plate 5.The rail points 9 and 10 are mounted on the base plate 5 in line withthe converging rail sections 1 and 8, and are held in proper alinementby the spacing block 11 and therail clips or fish plates 12 and l3, heldin place by bolts 13 The rail section 9 is cut away on one side to mergeinto the tread of the rail section 10, and the points otthese rails aresecured on the base plate 1 by splice plates 14: and 15.

The splice plates 14 and 15 are extended beyond the ends of the railsections 9 and 10, and these extending ends are spread or flared to lineup substantially with the rail clips 16 and 17 holding the ends of railsections 2 and 4. The rail sections 2 and 4: are spread by a block 18,and are clamped in place by bolts 19, and the rail clips 16 and 17 areextended at their ends beyond the ends of rail sections 2 and 4E.

A swinging rail section 20 is fitted at one 01 its ends between theflared ends of the spliced plates 14: and 15, and is held in a pivotedmountingtherein by means of bolts 21, shield members 22 being providedon the rail section to guard against the ingress oi dirt into the spacebetween the flared ends of these splice plates With this mounting otthesection 20, it can be swung to line up with either the rail sections2 orthe rail section 4, and in the one position will be held against furtheroutward swinging movement by the stop end 23 of clip 16, and inthe otherextreme of movement will be stopped by the. stop end 24 of clip 17. 7

While the extensions of the rail clips 16 and 17 will limit outwardswinging movement. of the swinging rail section 20, it is essential thatmeans be provided to swing this rail to each of its positions for use,and to lock the rail inalinement with the corresponding rail section 2or 4t. To accomplish this purpose I provide the sliding bars 25 and 26onopposite sides of the swinging rail section 20. These sliding bars areprovided with wedge shoes 27 and 28 and 29 and 30 carried at their endsand sliding against the web flange of the rail Bearing rolls land 32 aremounted on the base plate adjacentslidc bar 25," in position to beengaged by the wedges 27 and 28 carried by this bar, and bearing rollsand 34 are mounted in cor responding posit-ions on the opposite side ofthe rail section 20, to engage the wedges sides, when the parts are inthe relation shown in Fig. 4. 'When it is desired to swing the railsection to an opposite position and to lock this sectionin place, barmust he slid or advanced toward the right hand side and bar 26 must bewithdrawn toward the left hand side simultaneously. Such movement willcause the wedges 29 and 30 to travel down over the bearing rolls 33 and34, and Simultaneously will carry wedges 27 and 28 up onto bearing rolls31 and 32, and consequently the swinging rail section will be moved to aposition in which its swinging end is in alinement with rail section 4,locking bar 35 being extended to engage in the recess 31 of spreaderblock 18 and serving to lock the rail section with its end firmlyengaged against the extension 24 of rail clip 17, and thus insuringperfect alinement of the swinging rail frog section 20 and the line railsection 4. i

To accomplish this synchronous sliding of bars 25 and 26, I employ themechanism illustrated in Fig. 1. The bell crank levers 38 and 39 arepivotedin suitable bearings 40 and 41 carried by the plates 7 and8,.which are mounted on the cross. ties on opposite sides of the railsections 9 and 10, and an adjustable rod 42 connects one arm of lever 38with the slide bar 25, an adjustable rod 43 being connected with theslide bar 26 and with one arm of the bell crank lever 39. A link 44connects the free ends or arms of the bell crank levers 38 and 39, andthese parts are so mounted and connected that the rod 42 will draw whenrod 43 pushes, and the reverse. An operating rod 45 is connectedwiththis link 44, and may be extended to the usual switch operating pipeline, or to any other suitable operating mechanism. 7 It may bedesirable to operate the switch mechanism from a switch stand, and toaccomplish this purpose I provide a bell crank lever 46 which is mountedon a suitable bearing 47 carriedby the plate. 6. One arm of this lever46 is provided, with a slot- 48, and

a pin 49 carriedby slide bar 2 6,is received in theslot 48. A rod 50 ;lead s from the reniaining 'arm of lever-46 to the operating mechanism ofthe switchbox. Vhere'the frog is to be swung through manipulation of thelever 46 from the switch box, the movement of bar 26 will be transmittedto rod 43 and bell crank lever 39 to he link tion in the main and switchline rail installations, and without serious interruption to or delay oftraffic over the lines.

WVhile I have herein shown and described only one particular mounting ofmy improved swinging rail switch frog, and have suggested only certainpossible changes and modifications in the mounting and control, it willbe appreciated that changes and variations can be made in the formand'construction and in the arrangement and moun ing of the structure.and also in the operating and control mechanism, without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend, wedges on opposite sides of the swinging end of the rail, abutmentsadjacent such wedges, and means to slide said wedges longitudinally ofthe rail.

2. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend, oppositely inclined wedges on opposite sides of the swinging end ofthe rail, abutments adjacent said wedges, and means for simultaneouslymoving said wedges lon itudinally of the rail section in oppositedirections.

3. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising arail section pivoted at oneend, wedges slidably mounted on opposite sides of the swinging end ofthe rail, abutments against which said wedges engage, means to slide thewedges, and locking means carried by said wedges.

4. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend. slide bars on opposite sides of the swinging end of the railsection, oppositely inclined wedges carried by said slide bars engagingwith the sides of the swinging end of the rail section,

abutments against which the inclined faces 1 of said wedges contact, andmeans to simul taneously slide said bars in opposite directions. g

5. AIswinging'rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend, slide bars on opposite sides ofthe swinging end of the'railsection, oppositely inclined wedges carried by 'saidslide' barsengagingwith' the rail, abutments against which the wedges contact,locking means carried by said wedges, and means to simultaneously shiftsaid slide bars in opposite directions.

6. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend, slide bars on opposite sides of the swinging end of the railsection, a bell-crank operating lever for each slide bar, an operatingconnection between said operating levers to actuate these levers tosimultaneously shift the slide bars in opposite directions, cam meanscarried by said slide bars, and abutment-s against which the cam meanscontact to swing the free end of the rail section as the slide bars aremoved.

7. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a rail section pivoted at oneend, slide bars on opposite sides of the swinging end of the railsection, a bell-crank operating lever for each slide bar, an operatingconnection between said operating levers to simultaneously shift theslide bars in opposite directions, oppositely inclined wedges carried bythe slide bars in contact with the sides of the swinging end of the railsection, and abutments against which the inclined faces of the wedgesslide.

8. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a base plate of sufficientlength to re ceive the ends of main and switch rails, rail pointsmounted on the base plate in line with the main and switch rails at oneside, splice plates by which the rail points are held upon the baseplate, said splice plates being extended beyond and flared from the railpoints, a swinging rail section mounted on the base plate within theflared portions of the splice plates, and means to swing said railsection on the base plate.

9. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising a base plate of suflicientlength to receive the ends of main and switch rails, rail points mountedon the base plate in line with the switch and main rail ends at one endof said plate, a spreader block and rail clips by which the main andswitch rails are held in properl i spaced relation on the opposite endof the ase plate, said rail clips being extended to provide stops,splice plates by which the ends of the rail points are rigidly mountedon the base plate, said splice plates being extended beyond the railpoints and flared in line with the rail clips holding the rails at theopposite end of the plate, a. swinging rail section fitted between theflared ends of the splice plates, and means to swing the free end of therail section within the limits confined by the extending ends of therail clips and to lock the rail section in each of its extremes ofmovement.

10. A swinging rail switch frog, comprising an elongated base platehaving the ends of main and switch rails bearing at opposite endsthereon, the rails atone end terminating in a point, a spreader block bywhich the rails at the opposite ends are held in spaced relation, railclips by which the spaced rail ends are held and mounted upon the baseplate, said clips being extended to provide stops, splice plates bywhich the rail point is secured on the base plate, said splice platesbeing extended and fiared beyond the end of the point, a swinging railsection mounted in the flared ends of the splice plates, slide bars onopposite sides of the swinging end of the rail section, oppositelyinclined wedges carried by said slide bars in contact with the sides ofthe rail section, abutments against which the inclined faces of saidwedges contact, operating means to simultaneously slide said bars inopposite directions, and locking means carried by the wedges to engagewith the spaced rail ends and hold the swinging rail sections in each ofits adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM HARISON RIFE.

